Stephens Design pickups

[lpacilio]

OK, I'll chime in again...

Yes, I really do like the pickups Dave wound for me, but it is disconcerting when you're spending close to $250 for a set of pickups and you can't communicate your desires to the person making them. It gives rise to a certain frustration that can't be disregarded.

Would I buy another set of pickups from Dave? Yes, without hesitation as I am pleased with the quality of the pickups he wound for me. All's well that ends well I suppose.

I am strongly considering one of Dave's Broadcaster pickups for my Esquire. I'm confident it would sound great as Dave does do his homework and takes pride in what he winds.

 

[Blue Suede]

Broadcaster

Larry: actually the Black Guard Broadcaster is the same bridge pickup you got from me. You got the first one. Its everything I learned about Broadcasters, and the earliest Fender bridge pickups, from a '51 bridge pickup I rewound and dissected. Alot thats different about them from what Fender makes now. The one you have is on the hotter side of winds, probably the outer reaches of readings I've read from Broadcasters, I am going to try unwinding it down to more average readings they used to see how it changes. They were kind of dark pickups, NOT twangers. In about '53 the magnets changed to alnico 5 and they went to 42 gauge wire, though the '51 I have here for research used 42 gauge wire and alnico five, must have been a real early model before the change over. The magnets also went from 5mm thick to 3/16" around '53, the '51 here is 5mm thick. Kind of an oddball pickup that doesn't fit some versions of history I've read. I think they futzed around with some different things before they finally settled in on what most people now know as a typical bright tele twanging type pickup. The Broadcasters almost have a thick humbucking kind of tone, real sweet for lead solos and crunch chord stuff. On the other hand also very touch sensitive. I do have a twanger type bridge pickup now called the Possumcaster if you want a nice bright but fairly smooth top end. there's about a billion ways to wind a tele pickup......Dave

 

[lpacilio]

Stephens Design Broadcaster

Yeah, that bridge pickup I have is incredible.

As an update... I have ordered Dave's "Broadcaster" for my Esquire. Unfortunately Dave now has an eight week backlog of work (VERY good fo Dave though). I guess I'll need to exercise a bit more patience than I'm typically used to exercising.

Worth the wait... I'm sure my Esquire will be a tone beast with that Broadcaster pickup in there.

 

[Crazyquilt]

Re: Stephens Design Broadcaster

Unfortunately Dave now has an eight week backlog of work (VERY good fo Dave though). I guess I'll need to exercise a bit more patience than I'm typically used to exercising.

I know!

When Dave told me the wait for my blade neck pickup was 8 weeks, I nearly wept. I am such the "immediate gratification" kind of guy.

I have faith it'll be worth the wait, though; this is my first Stephens pickup.

 

[lpacilio]

Blade

I have the laminate blade in the neck of my Tele along with a custom wind (what Dave now sells as his Broadcaster) in the bridge.

You're gonna love that blade. I play jazzy blues or bluesy jazz - whatever - and I'm getting a nice thick smokey tone out of that Tele that's to die for.

Thing is... it still sounds like a Tele and therein lies the magic of these pickups.